The Society of
St. Vincent de Paul is an international voluntary Catholic
Christian organisation. Its work is in supporting members
of society who experience poverty and exclusion and
is based on the Catholic social teaching of love of
God and love of our neighbour. SVP aims to treat people
with dignity and provides a welcoming environment to
all those who present themselves for assistance in a
confidential manner.

Here
in Longford SVP volunteers work in 4 areas:

1.
The Hostels / Refuge supply almost 40 beds to homeless
people and to victims of domestic violence. These hostels
have been providing a safe haven and home-from-home
for many people.

2.
The Thrift Shop on Dublin Street provides people in
need with new or second-hand clothing and is operated
with the generosity of over 40 volunteers. It is a place
full of treasures for home and self at very reasonable
prices.

3.
The Visitation Conference helps families in crisis and
tries to break the cycle of poverty by supporting people
to access training and education and has about 25 members.
It runs a weekly clinic and provides home support for
those in need.

4.
A ‘Housing Scheme’ with 10 houses and a
community centre was opened early in 2009. All of the
houses are now occupied and the new community centre
has become a focal point for the area.

History:
The first conference was established in Longford in
1859. Ozanam House, the headquarters of the Conference
was opened in 1969. Today this houses the Visitation
Conference and the weekly clinic. This building, which
is in close proximity to the Cathedral, symbolises the
fact that the work of charity that is done by the Society
is rightly at the centre of the life of the parish and
the diocese. The later development of two important
places of refuge on the Dublin Road, St. Martha’s
and Bethany House, furthers the role the Society plays
in reaching out to the homeless. One of these provides
beds and a first meal of the day for men, the other
accommodation for women and their children. Through
its responses to changing circumstances and new kinds
of need, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has created
awareness in our community of our responsibilities arising
from Catholic social teaching.

Top Left Image - “Tapestry
located behind the Altar in St Mel's Cathedral.”